• World Cup

Pressure caused us to make 'incredible' errors - Capello

ESPN staff
June 18, 2010
A frustrating night for Fabio Capello © Getty Images
Enlarge

England labour to disappointing draw
Comment: Drop Lampard to free Gerrard
England 0-0 Algeria gallery

Fabio Capello claimed that England's players were struggling to cope with the pressure of the World Cup after watching his side make "incredible" mistakes during the 0-0 draw with Algeria.

England's players looked ill at ease throughout the Group C clash in Cape Town, with possession frequently squandered and few chances created throughout the 90 minutes.

The drab draw arrives shortly after a similarly disappointing opening clash with USA, a game which England could easily have lost - despite racing into a fourth-minute lead.

Capello has frequently cited the players' mental block as the reason for England's failure to reach the sharp end of major tournaments in recent years, and again he is faced with the dilemma of how to conquer this fear.

If England cannot raise their game to defeat Slovenia in the final group game on Wednesday, then they face the unpalatable prospect of elimination from the World Cup - which they were among the favourites for - at the earliest juncture.

"It is the pressure of the World Cup," he said. "These players are training very well at a fast speed. But these two games they were not the same.

"I hope on Wednesday to see the England team. This is not the England that I know. It is not the players in training. When I started as England manager I saw the same things when we played at Wembley.

"I hope for the next game that we forget this performance and forget to play with fear and without confidence. It is incredible the mistakes of the players, when they do not control the ball, the easy passes we missed. Everything. This is incredible for the level of the England players."

Wayne Rooney, who after the game criticised England's supporters for booing the team, was one of England's poorest performers - just as he was against USA. Capello shied away from criticising the Manchester United striker, however, insisting that he is not the "problem" affecting the team.

"I don't like to speak about the performance of one player", he said. "I prefer to speak about the performance of the team. Rooney didn't play like Rooney, but he is not the problem.

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
Close

ABOUT COOKIES

To help make this website better, to improve and personalize your experience and for advertising purposes, are you happy to accept cookies and other technologies.

More Info Here Cookie Choices